Ordering beer at a brewery taproom/beer bar.
Bars can be intimidating. Inebriated folks can be hit or miss depending on their mood, plus sometimes figuring out what you want can be difficult. This goes true for local brewery taprooms along with craft beer bars. Finding the Right Location Finding a local brewery these days is not too terribly difficult these days as craft beer is fairly trendy. A good idea is to check out menus online beforehand to see if anything appeals to you. Some brewers specialize in IPA's, which are hoppy and bitter for the most part. This style of beer is popular, but not necessarily for everyone. If a brewery specializes in this style it might be a good idea to make sure they have other types of beer before going there. Entering the Tap Room Many breweries have tap rooms onsite at their facility. These tap rooms are bars connected to the brewery itself, and often they will have unique beer that you cannot find anywhere else. Instead of a typical lager there might be a coffee, chocolate stout brewed with milk sugars. Or a guava, passion fruit wheat. Essentially there are a lot of options. Walking in. The first thing you want to check when you walk in is if you order at the bar itself or if there is table service. That can depend on both the venue and the time of day. At certain places you only order at the bar while other places exclusively have table service. Then there are also locations that have table service only on Friday and Saturday nights. If there is not a host or hostess when you walk in, the chances are you can order at the bar and seat yourself. Choosing the right beer This is the big question. Everyone has different tastes, so finding the right beer for you is important. You can peruse the beer list, but talking to the bartender always helps. You can ask them about a certain style and most locations will give customers small samples if they ask. Beer Styles Typically most breweries will carry a good variance of brews. There are many different styles of beer, but we will avoid getting to in-depth with them as that is a whole different subject. Basically if you're looking for something light and crisp, see if they have a pilsner or some type of wheat ale. If you want to go for dark and roasty, stouts and porters are a good bet. If hoppy, fruity, and bitter are up your alley IPA's (India Pale Ale's) and Pale Ale's are popular. Alcohol by Volume Something to take into account is the alcohol-by-volume (ABV) of the beer you drink. The typical ABV of a beer will fall into between the range of 5-7%, but there are certain beers out there that exceed the 20% ABV range. These sorts of extreme beers are rare, but most breweries will carry beer that does go above 9% ABV. When drinking make sure you are aware of the ABV of whatever you're enjoying. Leaving the Venue There are a coupe things you want to be aware of when leaving the tap room. Close out your tab Bartenders will keep your check open if you request that they do so as your order. Make sure you pay your check before you leave. As far as tipping goes, generally $1 per drink is a standard amount. Anymore or less can depend on the service or quality of the beer itself. Getting home It should be obvious, but drinking and driving is a bad idea. Either make use of a designated driver or order an uber. =